The Darul Uloom Deoband is one of Indias well-respected Islamic seminaries. Its fatwas against suicide attacks and its condemnation of the killing of innocent persons were most welcome. Of late it has issued fatwas that Muslim women should not work in offices where men too are employed and also that working in banks is un-Islamic. The Deoband has also declared that opting for an insurance policy is against the tenets of Islam because insurance policy is unlawful as it is based on interest and gambling. In the present age of trade and commerce and globalisation,do these fatwas make sense? Realistically,will they be implemented by Muslim business and industrial houses? Are these fatwas recommendatory or mandatory? What penalty can be imposed for their breach? What is the response of the Muslim business community and Muslim civil society? An enlightened Muslim,Javed Akhtar criticised these fatwas in moderate terms. The result was huge hate-mail and aspersions that he is an irreligious Muslim. Fortunately,there were voices in his support. More such voices are needed. These fatwas do no good to the Muslim community. They offer fodder to those who wish to defame Islam. The Deoband,which is highly regarded even by non-Muslims,may shed light on the subject in the interest of its own credibility.
SC judgment on Khushboo
Niranjan Jhaveri is no more
Jazz and stalwart jazz musicians came to India with the start of jazz festivals (yatras) since 1978,originally in Bombay and then in Delhi and other metros. Holding jazz yatras in India was the dream of a group of jazz aficionados which incongruously included Niranjan,Niru,a strict vegetarian with a strict Jain upbringing. Nonetheless it was Niru,who sadly passed away last month,who made that dream come true. We had greats from the the US: Sonny Rollins,Stan Getz,Freddy Hubbard,Woody Shaw,Max Roach and Dollar Brand. Also Stephanne Grappeli (France),Ronnie Scott (UK),Jan Garbarek (Norway),Allegro (Russia),Sadao Watanabe (Japan),all of whom thrilled Indian jazz fans and local musicians. The first 1978 yatra was opened in Bombay by Indias great Rudy Cotton. Organising jazz yatras is an arduous task,involving extensive meetings,arrangements for transport and stay of musicians,rehearsals and sound checks and unforeseen contingencies. But for Nirus indomitable spirit,jazz yatras would not have happened. And for that the jazz fraternity in India owes him a debt of gratitude. I like to visualise Niru enjoying the company of his favourite jazz musicians with whom he is now relaxing.
